News For Tuesday Oct 7, 2008 News For Tuesday Oct 7, 2008

Religion Religion

Economics & the soul of America - Added 7 hours ago

HAMPSTEAD, N.C. (BP)--For perhaps the first time in my life since the final exam, I wish I had paid more attention in Economics 101. About all I can now recall is that economics has something to do with guns and butter...

Neonatal intensive care is ministry's focus - Added 7 hours ago

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (BP)--Many babies admitted to this neonatal intensive care unit —- those born unexpectedly early, some even before their own baby showers -— receive their first gifts from Dana Gallahair."Yes, I'm the...

Mont. Baptists to strengthen churches - Added 7 hours ago

KALISPELL, Mont. (BP)--A new executive director, new strategy and newly revived newspaper were key highlights of the Montana Southern Baptist Convention's Oct. 1-2 annual meeting at Easthaven Baptist Church in...

U.S. aid blocked to abortion provider - Added 7 hours ago

WASHINGTON (BP)--The Bush administration has cut off federal aid to a leading international provider of abortions because of the organization's alleged support of China's coercive population control program.The U.S....

New poll: Calif. marriage amend. leading - Added 7 hours ago

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (BP)--A proposed constitutional marriage amendment in California has taken a lead in a new statewide poll, days after supporters of the proposal began airing their first statewide television ad.The...

Platform comparison published by ERLC - Added 7 hours ago

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--Voters have a lot on their minds as they ponder which candidate to support in the upcoming presidential election -- a shaky economy, the war on terrorism, the energy crisis, increasing pressure to...

Philly archdiocese warns teens of sexual violence - Added 19 hours ago

In the wake of the priest-abuse crisis, the Roman Catholic archdiocese of Philadelphia debuted a short film that urges teens to report sexual violence. The film reminds teens that victims are never to blame and that...

Scary halls, walls & stalls - Added 1 day ago

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--My family and I recently attended a church we had never visited before, and we pulled into the parking lot eager to worship in a new place and to interact with new people.At the door, we were...

Youth leaders' needs on conference agenda - Added 1 day ago

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--The "main reason" for the National Youth Workers Conference "was to answer a need that Southern Baptist youth workers had been making known to us," said Paul Turner, national student ministry...

Houston univ. adjusts to Ike's disruption - Added 1 day ago

HOUSTON (BP)--It has been good to get back into the routine of campus life at Houston Baptist University, said Martha Morrow, HBU assistant vice president for communications. Students have completed two weeks of classes...

Without arms or legs, art is her expression - Added 1 day ago

BOLIVAR, Mo. (BP)--In 1988, a baby named Swapna was born without arms or legs in India, a country where women with disabilities have little control over their lives. She was not given much hope to live.That same year, a...

'Fireproof' still a box office hit - Added 1 day ago

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--In its second week at the box office, "Fireproof" topped $12 million in total receipts and stayed among the top five movies in average theater revenue.Fireproof averaged $4,776 in 852 theaters,...

Egyptian court: Muslim father gets custody of Christian boys - Added 1 day ago

ISTANBUL, Turkey (BP)--Following a decision by the Appeal Court of Alexandria in Egypt to grant custody of 13-year-old Coptic Christian twins to their Muslim father, their mother lives with the fear that police will...

Saintly surfers praise divine waves in California - Added 2 days ago

He may not be able to walk on water, but when the mood strikes, Father Matthew Munoz can ride one gnarly wave all the way into the beach. So Sunday at dawn, on the white sands of the town where the U.S. Surfing...

Pa. Episcopal diocese OKs split over Bible, gays - Added 2 days ago

Clergy and lay members of the theologically conservative Pittsburgh diocese voted overwhelmingly Saturday to break from the liberal Episcopal Church, with which it differs on issues ranging from homosexuality to...

Episcopalians meet in Pa. to apologize for slavery - Added 4 days ago

Episcopal leaders gathered in Philadelphia expect to formally apologize Saturday for their ancestors' slave ownership _ and to discuss the "white privilege" they say endures. In a solemn repentance service,...

'Bailout' vs. prosperity - Added 4 days ago

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (BP)--Now that the economic "bailout" plan has been passed by Congress, expect all parties involved to claim credit if it appears to work and deny blame if the crisis worsens. Though the primary problem...

Pulpit politicking and the IRS - Added 4 days ago

ALEXANDRIA, La. (BP)--On Sunday, Sept. 28, a few dozen pastors across the United States endorsed or opposed political candidates from pulpits during their churches' worship services. The coordinated effort apparently...

Missions video stirs husband to new birth - Added 4 days ago

HAWTHORNE, Calif. (BP)--Forget art imitating life. Try art ushering in new life.That's what happened when Arturo Carrillo showed a segment of the 2008 California Mission Offering video to a man in his church he had been...

CULTURE DIGEST: Evangelicals now are more environmentally conscious, Barna says - Added 4 days ago

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--Millions of evangelicals have become more environmentally conscious in the last year, according to a study by The Barna Group dubbed as the most comprehensive look at the Christian community and...

IN THEIR OWN WORDS: John McCain & Barack Obama on the energy crisis - Added 4 days ago

EDITOR'S NOTE: This is part of a special series of stories focusing on the election that Baptist Press will run between now and Nov. 4. Stories will run on Wednesdays and Fridays.NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--This is the...

'Pulpit freedom' touted in 7 SBC churches - Added 4 days ago

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--Pastors of at least seven Southern Baptist congregations participated in "Pulpit Freedom Sunday," a Sept. 28 free speech initiative to test the 54-year-old Supreme Court ruling that forbids the...

VP debate includes 'gay marriage,' Darfur - Added 4 days ago

ST. LOUIS (BP)--The first and only vice presidential debate of the 2008 election season, held Oct. 2 at Washington University in St. Louis, covered domestic topics such as taxes and "gay marriage" as well as foreign...

Thousands continue to be fed daily - Added 4 days ago

GALVESTON, Texas (BP)--On Galveston Island and in inland areas of southeast Texas, disaster relief volunteers from Texas and six out-of-state conventions are continuing the work of recovery -- and feeding thousands...

Coastal town faces long recovery - Added 4 days ago

BRIDGE CITY, Texas (BP)--In Bridge City, a Texas community near the Louisiana border, residents are just beginning to dig out from Hurricane Ike. Much of Bridge City was underwater when the storm surge pushed water from...

World Hunger Fund aids overseas outreach - Added 4 days ago

EDITOR'S NOTE: On Oct. 12, Southern Baptists will observe World Hunger Sunday and congregations across the United States will collect offerings for the Southern Baptist World Hunger Fund. Since its inception in 1974,...

A needed channel for food & the Gospel - Added 4 days ago

EDITOR'S NOTE: On Oct. 12, Southern Baptists will observe World Hunger Sunday and congregations across the United States will collect offerings for the Southern Baptist World Hunger Fund. Since its inception in 1974,...

Cooperating to fight hunger - Added 4 days ago

EDITOR'S NOTE: On Oct. 12, Southern Baptists will observe World Hunger Sunday and congregations across the United States will collect offerings for the Southern Baptist World Hunger Fund. Since its inception in 1974,...

'It's a pleasure waiting on you' - Added 5 days ago

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--"It's been a pleasure waiting on you," the young blonde waitress announced as she handed us our checks. As she flitted away, my son David looked at me incredulously and asked, "Was she...

Baptist family appears on BBC reality show - Added 5 days ago

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (BP)--A Southern Baptist family in Alabama hosted two unruly British teens for a week as part of a BBC reality show "World's Strictest Parents," and the family gave a positive portrayal of a Christian...

Ind. Baptists celebrate half-century mark - Added 5 days ago

INDIANAPOLIS (BP)--Fifty years ago, the Southern Baptist Convention was already over 100 years old. There were some Southern Baptists in Indiana, but no convention.Fifty years ago, the International Mission Board (then...

Church sees CP's spiritual dimension - Added 5 days ago

HUTCHINSON, Kan. (BP)--When people are educated about missions, they pray better, give more and go more eagerly, says Kansas pastor Ray Kempel."We can give to any cause. We can give to all kinds of good organizations,"...

SBC: Ahead of budget; CP down slightly - Added 5 days ago

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--The Southern Baptist Convention finished its Oct. 1 - Sept. 30 fiscal year 1.89 percent ahead of budget, but Cooperative Program receipts for the year were down .65 percent and combined giving for...

City's mission centers meet post-Ike needs - Added 5 days ago

HOUSTON (BP)--Right after Hurricane Ike ripped through Houston -- knocking down trees, leaving stoplights dangling at car-door level and pitching 3 million residents in the dark -- the bright teal-blue Dodge pick-up...

Galveston residents begin coping with hurricane's clout - Added 5 days ago

GALVESTON, Texas (BP)--It's been almost three weeks since Hurricane Ike ravaged Galveston Island, but residents are just now in the beginning stages of cleanup.On Pine Street, most residents have moved their...

Religion news in brief - Added 5 days ago

Four State Board of Education members are promoting a public school Bible curriculum that has been criticized as favoring conservative Protestant views and has already landed some districts in court. An e-mail to Texas...

Religion today - Added 5 days ago

Within the nation's largest Protestant denomination, a woman may not lead a church or a home. But prominent Southern Baptists see nothing wrong with Sarah Palin serving as vice president _ or perhaps even...

DVD addresses tough faith questions - Added 6 days ago

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (BP)--If God exists, how come there's so much evil in the world? And if there is a God, is Jesus the only way to Him? In the new DVD "The Case for Faith," (Lionsgate Films) journalist Lee Strobel...

Hurricane relief showcases cooperation - Added 6 days ago

FORT WORTH, Texas (BP)--Little did I know when I traveled to southeast Texas in the aftermath of Hurricane Ike that I would learn more about pastoral ministry, the resilience of God's people and the power of the...

Navy chaplains obtain Bibles, books - Added 6 days ago

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--Two Navy hospitals and a new ship are among the latest global points of contact for Holman Bible Outreach International, a ministry of LifeWay Christian Resources.HBOI has donated Bibles and a...

Financial freedom's New Testament boost - Added 6 days ago

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--To help families reduce their financial debt, LifeWay Christian Resources and the Southern Baptist Convention's Executive Committee hope to see a New Testament become a valuable resource. If so,...

In Galveston, Baptists help kindle hope - Added 6 days ago

GALVESTON, Texas (BP)--For years the big, blue pillars flanking the bridge to Galveston Island have welcomed tourists and beachcombers to the city. Today they welcome Southern Baptist disaster relief volunteers who are...

Bayou community welcomes Baptist help - Added 6 days ago

THERIOT, La. (BP)--Amid the destruction and widespread sense of helplessness along the Gulf Coast of Louisiana brought on by hurricanes, pastor Jerry Moser said there is tremendous opportunity, and he hopes Southern...

ELECTION 08: Mich. voters face vote on legalizing embryonic stem cell research - Added 6 days ago

EDITOR'S NOTE: This is part of a special series of stories focusing on the election that Baptist Press will run between now and Nov. 4. Stories will run on Wednesdays and Fridays.DETROIT (BP)--When Michigan voters...

Boston-area Arabic Baptists 'reaching out' - Added 6 days ago

WEST ROXBURY, Mass. (BP)--When Shady Bishay, a sales executive for a Boston high-tech firm and a native of Egypt, tells American friends he belongs to an Arabic evangelical Baptist church in West Roxbury, Mass., the...

U.S.-Muslim engagement seen as key to security, prosperity - Added 6 days ago

WASHINGTON (BP)--Deep misunderstandings between the United States and Muslim communities around the world are causing serious problems and solving them will require constructing "bridges of understanding," says the...

Fall celebrations - Added 1 week ago

ALEXANDRIA, La. (BP)--Fall is here! Now is the time to plan for a fall festival or an alternative to Halloween for your community.Depending on how large an outreach you are planning, you may or may not be behind in...

'Fireproof' obeys movie laws - Added 1 week ago

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (BP)--At work, inside burning buildings, Capt. Caleb Holt lives by the firefighter's adage: Never leave your partner behind. At home, in the cooling embers of his marriage, it's a different story....

Churches become post-Ike relief hubs - Added 1 week ago

HOUMA, La. (BP)—-"When house was knocked off its stilts, he lost everything," said pastor Marcel McGee at Grand Caillou Baptist Church in Houma, La.Even so, McGee noted that the Grand Cailou attendee was among 20...

Galveston Baptists share reports, plan - Added 1 week ago

TEXAS CITY, Texas (BP)--In Galveston, leaders from local churches and the Baptist association, Southern Baptist disaster relief and the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention met Sept. 25 at the Galveston Baptist...